A few minutes with McHale, and comparing Hakeem, Shaq and the greatest centers ever

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Though I’m fairly certain that the Rockets’ greater need has been for Kevin McHale the player — these days, he would be a phenomenal center — I can’t say with any certainty how he’ll do in the job he is taking on Friday.

It seems difficult for anyone to know. He has never coached a full season, a preseason or a post-season. Pretty tough to predict the future based on that.

It was easy on Wednesday, however, to see what the Rockets see in him.

That might not come through in Friday’s press conference. McHale seems hesitant to talk about himself, which likely will be the subject of a session about him becoming the Rockets coach.

Get him talking about basketball, however, and he has a lot to say. He says it with great detail and says it exceedingly well. With so many that know him speaking quickly about McHale’s ability as a communicator, he makes it easy not just to see what they mean, but to envision him with players.

One would think that the Rockets went much deeper than just having an ability to picture McHale succeeding. When he gets on the job, he’ll have his chance to show what the Rockets saw in him. He has, however, begun to offer some glimpses.

• • •

Funny, but I miss Shaquille O’Neal already. For good or bad, right or right, there was no one like him, with all the bluster and comedy, audacity and magnificence of a unique player/celebrity.

While much has been said about a career and character like no others, I did think of an old argument a bunch of us enjoyed years ago over dinner during a playoff series in San Antonio.

Who was better, Shaquille O’Neal or Hakeem Olajuwon?

There were about 10 of us at the table. Two of us argued for Hakeem, the rest for Shaq.

I don’t recall what was said, but I do believe something Mark Heisler of the LA Times told me years ago when Shaq was in LA and at his best. He said that technically, Shaq is the MVP anytime he plays. No one changes a game and everyone playing it that night more than Shaq in those days. He was right. Every game plan, every opponent, every teammate was impacted by that monster in the middle.

My argument was that Shaq was generally a pretty lousy defensive player. Many teams ran pick-and-roll at him and advanced to the next round, some (including the Rockets, who were not normally a pick-and-roll team) in sweeps.

Hakeem was a spectacular defensive player, one of the best ever.

Both became great, great offensive players. It does not matter that Hakeem was quicker or more graceful, or Shaq was more powerful. They were at their best, the best offensive centers in the league.

I went with Hakeem in the argument that night because of defense.

Still do.

• • •

As far the inevitable ranking of centers, I still struggle with the top two. Counting down from No. 5, I went with Shaquille at five, Hakeem four and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar at 3.

It was hard not to put George Mikan in the top five. On lists like this, you have to view the player in his time and Mikan belongs on any list. But if I had to leave by childhood hero, Willis Reed, off, Mikan will have to step aside, too.

That of course leaves Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell battling for the top spots.

No one was ever more dominant than Chamberlain. To me, more than his 100 point game, Chamberlain’s 50 points per game average for a season is the most mind-blowing of NBA records. Head to head against Russell, he averaged 28.6 points and 28.6 rebounds.

I’m not one that just counts championships and ends arguments right there, but I just can’t get past Russell’s 11 championships. (He won a couple in college, too.) Far more than any player, he made his team the greatest dynasty in the history of the sport. No one has ever been more respected by those that covered, coached or played the game. The year Chamberlain averaged 50, Russell was the MVP.